The color of friendship : gender, race/ethnicity, and the relationships between friendship and delinquency

Studies investigating the etiology of delinquent involvement have pointed to two
influential theories: Differential Association Theory and Social Control Theory. Both
theories suggest that bonding can impact delinquent behavior. Strong friend relationships
influence delinquent involvement while strong parental relationships serve as a positive
influence in the curtailment of adolescent delinquency. Indeed, a great deal of research
has shown that both friends and families are an integral part of adolescent delinquent
involvement. Although these theories provide us with a framework for understanding
adolescent delinquency, the contextual nuances of the connections among friend
relationships, parental relationships, and delinquency are still unclear. In this project, I
investigate the gender and race/ethnicity of the respondent as well as the predominant
race/ethnicity and gender of the respondents’ friendship networks to better understand
how both friend and parent-child relationships affect adolescent delinquency. I utilize
data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (TARS). Results suggest that both
friend relationships and parental relationships impact respondent delinquency; however,
such effects differ by the gender and race/ethnicity of the respondent. Furthermore, the
predominant race/ethnicity and predominant gender of the respondents’ friendship
network appear to effect delinquent involvement for some groups and not others. The exploration of this topic provides a much-needed look into some understudied areas in
human behavior. The long-standing tradition of investigating the role of peers in criminal
offending has certainly examined the importance of family and the dynamics of
friendships. However, few studies have incorporated both gender and race/ethnicity in
their investigations into the relationship between friendships and delinquency. In
addition, this study is unique in that it examines friendship network characteristics and
how they relate to delinquency. Furthermore, this project explores how family and friend
influences on delinquent behavior vary across different groups. Neither of these aspects have been adequately explored in past research. It is the purpose of this study to being to
fill this gap in the literature and highlight how both gender and race/ethnicity influence involvement in delinquency.